A devastating, 8.9-magnitude Japanese earthquake Friday triggered tsunami alerts across the Pacific from the coast of California to Indonesia, as tsunami waves reached Hawaii without any enormous impact.

If Gold Coast United's big calls - and even bigger chequebook - come good, Brisbane Roar's clash with Everton on Saturday night will be a mere entree to what is to come in their A-League season opener.

Costa Rica was seconds away from securing a place at the World Cup but an injury-time equaliser from the United States pushed it into a play-off and handed Honduras a ticket to next year's finals in a dramatic finale to CONCACAF qualifying.